🛒🏏IPL Mega Auction: Selectors' strategies and Players' hopes 🏏🛒 - Page 47

Clamour for England players

Overall, INR 58.1 crore was spent on eight players from England - that's INR 16 crore more than the amount spent to acquire the 51 Indians sold at the event, with Sam Curran, Stokes and Harry Brook the big spends. The three of them were among the five most expensive buys on the day. Between the three, a total of INR 48 crore was spent, which is almost 29% of the total auction spend.

The top international allrounders were the most in-demand and expensive category at the auction - almost 42% of the total spend was for players listed as allrounders. INR 70.95 crore was spent on the allrounders - INR 8 crore on Indians and INR 62.95 crore on overseas players. Cameron Green was another of the big buys there, going to Mumbai Indians for INR 17.5 crore.

For the 80 players sold at the auction, INR 139 crore was spent on 37 capped players, and INR 28 crore on 43 uncapped players.

The battle over Curran

Curran, who became the most expensive auction buy ever at the IPL, was also the player to attract bids from the most teams. He was the only player six teams bid for: Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Royals, Super Kings, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants. Stokes was the other to attract bids from five teams.

As many as 70 bids were made for Curran, which is also the most for any player at this auction.

Salary cuts for New Zealand stars

Sunrisers, who retained Kane Williamson for INR 14 crores in 2022, released him ahead of the 2023 auction. Williamson was the first player to go under the hammer and was picked by Titans for his base price of INR 2 crore. That's a pay cut of INR 12 crore, but he didn't have the roughest time.

Kyle Jamieson had a pay cut of INR 14 crore, down to INR 1 crore (Super Kings) from the INR 15 crore he was paid by Royal Challengers in 2021.

Jhye Richardson took a cut of INR 12.5 crore - down from INR 14 crore (Kings) to INR 1.5 crore, which is what Mumbai Indians got him for this time.

Jamieson's pay came down by 93.33%, the second highest for any player at this auction. Romario Shepherd topped the list with 93.5%, bought for INR 50 lakh by Super Giants after being bought by Sunrisers for INR 7.75 crore in 2022.

The biggest percentage hike came for Rilee Rossouw, whose got a 1433.33% increase on his previous pay cheque. Rossouw was last part of the IPL in 2015, when he earned INR 30 lakh from Royal Challengers. This time, Delhi Capitals paid him INR 4.6 crore during the accelerated round of the auction.

In terms of money, Curran got the biggest jump: from INR 5.5 crore in 2021 to INR 18.5 crore, a hike of INR 13 crore.